The Seattle Kraken were a surprise team in their second year of existence, coming within a game of reaching the Western Conference finals in 2023.
The Kraken haven’t been to the playoffs since, but they were optimistic about this season under new coach Dan Bylsma. However, their current 1-5-1 stretch has been frustrating, and they will try to stop the slide when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
Seattle is coming off two straight shutout losses. The Kraken lost 3-0 at Ottawa on Saturday night and fell to Boston 2-0 on Sunday night.
Scoring has been an issue for the last four losses, and the only offense they have shown came in an 8-2 win at Montreal to kick off a five-game road trip on Oct. 29.
Seattle scored one goal in a loss to Carolina before beating the Canadiens and have no goals in six-plus periods.
“I don’t want to say the puck’s not going in right now, because we scored eight goals a couple of games ago,” goaltender Joey Daccord said after the loss to the Bruins. “But yeah, the last couple of games, it hasn’t gone our way. We just have to stay positive.”
The Kraken can get things turned around against the team they eliminated in the first round of the playoffs three seasons ago. Seattle won Game 7 in Denver that year to knock off Colorado and end its bid for a second straight Stanley Cup title.
Things have been streaky for the 2022 champions. The Avalanche began the season with four straight losses, reeled off five wins in a row — including a 3-2 victory at Seattle on Oct. 22 — but have dropped their last three.
Injuries have played a part in Colorado’s inconsistent start. Forward Jonathan Drouin went down in the season opener, adding to a list of top-six forwards on the shelf, and then leading goal scorer Ross Colton suffered a broken foot against Chicago on Oct. 28 and is expected to miss up to eight weeks.
There is some good news. Artturi Lehkonen, who hasn’t played due to offseason shoulder surgery, has been activated off the injured list and is going to make his season debut Tuesday, coach Jared Bednar said.
Valeri Nichushkin, who is suspended under the NHL/NHLPA players assistance program, has been cleared to practice with the team. He is eligible to come off suspension Nov. 15.
Adding a pair of top forwards will help take some of the scoring pressure off defenseman Cale Makar and center Nathan MacKinnon. Both players have recorded at least a point in every game, and Makar is tied for the NHL scoring lead with 21 points.
“He’s playing really well, and not just offensively,” Bednar said of Makar. “He didn’t like some of his defending games early in the season. I feel like he’s really turned a corner with that. He’s been paying attention to the way he’s closing out plays and staying assertive and aggressive on the defending side, and it’s leading to continued offense for him.”
